EDUCATION, SOCIAL LIBERALISM, AND ECONOMIC CONSERVATISM - ATTITUDES TOWARD HOMELESS PEOPLE

Numerous studies link education to liberal attitudes, such as toleranc e and support for civil liberties, yet explanations for this associati on remain controversial. Three models have been proposed: Liberal atti tudes result from cognitive and personality development, from direct s ocialization, or from ''ideological refinement.'' Tests of these model s predicting social attitudes have failed to resolve the controversy. We argue that the mechanism by which education influences attitudes ca n be clarified by considering economic attitudes as well as social att itudes. We focus on attitudes toward homeless people, an issue with bo th social and economic components. Using a nationwide survey, we find that education is associated with greater tolerance for homeless peopl e but less support for economic aid to the homeless. These data suppor t the socialization model, and we conclude that education socializes s tudents to the ''official culture,'' which in the United States includ es values of equal opportunity and equal respect-but not equal outcome s.